Explanation of the author's statement: "Chapter Five: The Report of Some Later Scholars Regarding the Methodology of the Salaf. Some later scholars said:

The Shaykh : The chapter before this one is very important, and therefore care must be taken with it. It is the statement of some later scholars—some of the foolish among the later ones—that the methodology of the Salaf is safer, and the methodology of the Khalaf is more knowledgeable and more judicious. It is necessary to pay attention to this and clarify its invalidity so that the matter does not become confused for them, because I told you that some people among the verified scholars, who are known for their goodness, say this, such as al-Nawawi and others. They say that the methodology of the Salaf is safer and the methodology of the Khalaf is more knowledgeable and more judicious. As for this chapter, it is about a simple issue, which is... Some later scholars say that "the methodology of the Salaf regarding the attributes is to let the texts pass as they came, while believing that their apparent meaning is not intended". What is his intention? His intention is what will come in the next chapter, that there is no clear difference between the methodology of the Salaf and the methodology of the Khalaf, because they all believe that the apparent meaning is not intended. But the Salaf remain silent about their opinion, while those others specify it. We say that this is a matter of deception and misguidance. If you say that the methodology of the Salaf is to let the texts pass as they came, while believing that their apparent meaning is not intended, there is a contradiction in reality, because if you say to let them pass as they came, you must believe that their apparent meaning is intended. You must, otherwise you would not let them pass as they came. But with that, we accommodate people because they may understand something from the methodology of the Salaf that is different from what we understand. So we need to detail it and say: "This statement, in its absolute form, is subject to scrutiny". And for you, this report, in its absolute form, is not correct. This report, because he says the methodology of the Salaf, is reported from others, saying this is what they intend. So we say this report is not correct, and this statement is also, in its absolute form, subject to scrutiny. The meaning is close. Why? He said: "For the term 'apparent' is ambiguous and requires detailed explanation". Most of the harm comes from ambiguity that lacks detailed explanation. It is taken in its ambiguity, and then every person details it as he wishes. But with detailed explanation, the difficulty is removed. "If by 'apparent' it is meant". What is the apparent? The one who said that their apparent meaning is not intended, we say: what do you mean by the apparent? "If by 'apparent' it is meant what appears from the texts as attributes that befit Allah without likening, then this is not intended. So this is certainly intended. And whoever says that it is not intended is misguided if he believes it himself, and a liar or mistaken if he attributes it to the Salaf"

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : What do you have?

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : I mean, the apparent is that the meaning is one... right?

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : Okay, we say: the one who says that the Salaf say their apparent meaning is not intended, what do you mean by the apparent? Do you mean by the apparent the meaning that befits Allah without likening? If he says yes, I mean this, we say to him: this is intended. And your saying that the Salaf say it is not intended is a lie if you report it from them, and a mistake if you believe it yourself, and misguidance. For the Salaf do not say this. They do not say that the apparent meaning that befits Allah without likening is not intended. Rather, they say it is intended. And we give an example for this. If someone says: What is the apparent meaning of the verse? That He rose above the Throne and established Himself upon it with a specific establishment, which is elevation and settling.
If someone says this is the apparent meaning, and that the Salaf say it is not intended, what do we say to him? We say: you lied. The Salaf did not say this. And if you believe that this is the methodology of the Salaf, then you are mistaken. Yes, for this reason he said: he is misguided if he believes it himself, and a liar if he reports it from the Salaf, or mistaken. If he says: I mean by the apparent that He established Himself upon the Throne, meaning like our establishment upon the bed, this is the apparent meaning. We say: this apparent meaning is not intended. And what do we say? We say: this is not intended, without doubt. But we prevent this from being the apparent meaning. It is not possible for this to be the apparent meaning. Because the apparent meaning of all that Allah described Himself with is that they are attributes that befit Him without likening. Mentioning this phrase causes confusion among the Salaf; they do not understand it well. We repeat it a second time.
We say: if someone says that the Salaf believe that the apparent meaning of the texts is not intended, we say this, in its absolute form, is subject to scrutiny and requires detailed explanation. What is the detailed explanation? That we say to him: what do you mean by the apparent that you claimed the Salaf say is not intended? If you mean by the apparent the meaning that befits Allah without likening, if you mean this meaning, then it is intended. The Salaf want this. They want the meaning of the verses and hadiths indicating the attributes to be according to what befits Allah, without likening, on their apparent meaning. And if you report this from the Salaf, then you are a liar or mistaken. And if you believe it yourself and say that this apparent meaning is not intended, then you are misguided. Okay, he said: "And if by the apparent it is meant, and if by the apparent it is meant what may appear to some people as likening Allah to His creation, then this is certainly not intended". If he said the apparent meaning of the saying of Allah the Exalted is that it is like the establishment of a person upon a bed, this is the apparent meaning of the verse and it is not intended. We say: you told the truth in one thing and lied in one thing. What did you tell the truth in? That it is not intended. And you lied in that it is the apparent meaning of the text. This is not possible to be the apparent meaning of the text. For this reason we said: "And if by the apparent it is meant what may appear to some people as likening Allah to His creation, then this is certainly not intended, and it is not the apparent meaning of the texts, for likening Allah to His creation is impossible, and it is not possible for the apparent meaning of the Book and the Sunnah to be an impossible thing. And whoever thinks that this is their apparent meaning will be shown that his assumption is wrong, and that their apparent meaning, indeed their explicit meaning, is affirming attributes that befit Allah and are unique to Him. With this detailed explanation, we have given the texts their due right in both wording and meaning". I think it is clear now?
Okay, if someone says: the saying of Allah the Exalted , its apparent meaning is affirming a real hand that befits Allah, and it is not intended. Right, is it correct or not? We say: this is not correct. This is not the apparent meaning of the text. This is not the apparent meaning of the text. What is the apparent meaning of the text?
The student: ...

The Shaykh : I said: if he says that the apparent meaning of His saying is affirming a real hand that resembles the hands of the created beings, we say: this is not their apparent meaning. If you say that this is not intended, we say: you told the truth. Or did you lie? You told the truth. But if he says: their apparent meaning is affirming two real hands that befit Him, and this is not intended. Right? We say: you told the truth in one thing and lied in one thing. As for your saying that their apparent meaning is affirming two real hands that befit Allah, this is correct. And as for your saying it is not intended, this is a lie. The Salaf did not say it is not intended. Rather, they say this is intended, and we affirm it for Allah, Mighty and Majestic. What remains is: what does he want from the two hands? He sees that what is intended by them, in the knowledge of Allah, is power, grace, and ability, and the like of that. And this is without doubt a distortion of the words from their places.
The student: ...

The Shaykh : How? Read it to us now.
The student : ... "What is meant by this is what appears from these texts of meanings befitting Allah, without likening Him to creation. This is certainly his intention. Whoever believes that this is not what is intended is misguided, and whoever reports from the Salaf that this is not what is intended has either lied about them or made a mistake... that one of them would say that Allah’s saying

and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.

وهو السميع البصير

[Ash-Shuraa 42:11]

does not mean the actual hearing and sight befitting Allah without likening Him to creation, or that Allah’s saying

Rather, both His hands are extended

بل يداه مبسوطتان

[Al-Ma'idah 5:64]

does not mean the actual hands befitting Allah without likening Him to creation, or that Allah’s saying

Do you feel secure that He who [holds authority] in the heaven

أأمنتم من في السماء

[Al-Mulk 67:16]

does not mean that Allah is in the sky by His essence without likening Him to creation."

The Shaykh : Good, this is good. We have added examples to it. These are examples. And that is fine, please proceed, yes?

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : This last one, this last one.